David Lindgren, a musical artist at heart, is genuinely "extremely happy" to be dancing instead of hosting. He can also describe what's new in the "totally renovated" "Let's Dance" which is now returning after a year's hiatus. With competition from the start, in three pre-recorded qualifying programs, the level of dancing will also be higher, he thinks.
Our first dance is like a final dance, everyone wants to show what they're capable of right away to have a chance to make it to the live broadcasts.
For example, there will be lifts from the start – not in program two or three.
The qualifying programs are like an audition. It would be a shame to be in "Let's Dance" and then not get to be part of it for real, says Lindgren, who hopes to be able to breakdance if he has to.
That's how my career started.
Even the visuals have changed. The live broadcasts will now feature pre-recorded music instead of a live orchestra, which gives "Let's Dance" some similarities with Eurovision, he thinks.
Nervous Energy
The new hosting duo, Johanna Nordström and Pär Lernström, are taken by the nervous energy of all the participants they've just met and describe themselves as far down "in the importance hierarchy".
We'll be there to cheer them on and guide them through the program, says Johanna Nordström, who thinks the script so far is "very funny".
We won't be doing humor, but it's fun.
The new jury member and former "Let's Dance" winner Eric Saade plans to put a lot of emphasis on artistic expression and maybe a little less on technique and straight lines, he explains. By his side, he has professional dancer Taya Shawki and veteran Tony Irving.
After three weeks of daily training, track and field star Carolina Klüft will record her qualifying program the day after the press conference and dance the pasodoble, a physically demanding dance. Even here, she has used her well-known winner's mentality, she admits.
But the big challenge is to make it look nice and artistic. Track and field is much easier.
Feathers and Glitter
In the same program, Manoel "Junior" Marques Lerin will compete, wearing a headpiece with feathers and glitter. As a Brazilian, he thought he knew his samba and describes the start of training as a shock.
This was a completely different samba than the one I had in mind, he says.
But the program itself, he describes as a dream.
I don't want to wake up. I'm very happy and grateful.
Premiere: March 15 on TV4.
Besides the classic ten dances (modern waltz, Viennese waltz, quickstep, tango, slowfox, cha-cha-cha, rumba, samba, jive, and pasodoble), the participants will now compete in modern dance styles like street and jazz.
In the qualifying programs, three out of five participants will move on. The jury will also award a wild card to one pair. This means that ten participants will remain when the live broadcasts begin.
This year's participants in qualifying competition 1: Isa Östling, influencer, Theo Haraldsson, artist, Manoel Marques "Junior" Lerin, artist, Mini Andén, model, Carolina Klüft, track and field athlete.
Qualifying competition 2: Tommy Myllymäki, chef, Arantxa Álvarez, host, Rickard Olsson, host, Cecilia Frode, actress, David Lindgren, host and musical artist.
Qualifying competition 3: Malin Stenbäck, host, Ferry Svan, lumberjack athlete, Perla Malmberg, influencer, Christopher Wollter, actor, Ciara Zelmerlöw, actress.
